Valve structure



I June 8, 1937. h B PRATT ET AL 2,083,087`

VALVE STRUCTURE Filed May 2o, 1935 sheets-sheet 1 June 8, I B PRATT ET AL VALVE STRUCTURE Filed May 20, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 8, 1937 UNITED STATES VALVE STRUCTURE Best Pratt and George F. Wcinreich, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Brake Equipment & Supply Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application May 20, 1935, Serial No. 22,475

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to a valve structure and, more particularly, to an arrangement of a thermostatic oven valve and a stop valve for delivering gas thereto.

5 The principal object of the invention is to provide a thermostatic oven valve and a stop valve so arranged with respect to each other that they may be independently operated.

`It has heretofore been proposed to provide a l thermostatic oven valve and a stop valve for delivering gas thereto and which valves are so arranged that they may be simultaneously operated by a single voperating means. Such combinations have not been satisfactory because of the l fact that when the single operating means is moved for the purpose of changing the setting of the thermostatic valve,if the user or operator should turn the thermostat setting to zero, the

n flow of gas through the stop valve will be simul o taneouslyshut oli. If this action extinguishes the ame at the oven burner, and if the operator then turns the operating means to obtain a new temperature reading without realizing that the flow of gas has been shut oi, there will be a waste of gas and the possibility of an explosion.

By the arrangement of the present invention, the thermostatic valve is controlled independently of the stop valve and it therefore results that the position of both valves will always be apparent. l

Another object of the invention is to providev a combined structure of the type described, wherein the thermostatic valvemay be readily regulated.

It is desirable that the operating member of the thermostatic valve of a gas range be easily rotatable in. order that it may be readily moved to fine adjustments. On the other hand, it is usually necessary that spring means be provided to hold the valve element of the stop valve properly seated with respect to its valve body. If the single operating means is under such spring pressure, it is diicult to obtain ne settings of the thermostatie valve structure.V

By the arrangement of the present invention, since theH-thermostatic valve. is independently movable, a ne adjustment thereof can be readily obtained.

Another object. ofjthe invention isto provide a combinedstop valveY and thermostatic valve..

structure which Ais compact and the operating means of which will conform to the designs of gas ranges as now generally constructed.

Otherobjects and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom the following specification and drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the structure of the invention;

Figure 2 is a front View of the valve structure; 5

Figure 3 is a front view of the structure with the operating handle and dial removed;

Figure 43is a front view-of the valve element and -valve body of the stop valve, being takenon the line 4 4 of Figure l; 10

Figure 5 is a central longitudinal sectional view f showing a modified formgof connection for the valve; and Y Y j Figure 6 is arear view of the structure shown in1igure5..v f 15 The numeral 9 designates a stop valve including a valve body having a disc valve'or valve ele'- ment II positioned upon its front .or seat face I2. The valve body Ill'is adaptedto be suitably secured to theicasing I3 of a thermcstatic valve I4, 20 the valve I4 forming no part of the present invention except insofaras the association Yof its casing and operating member with the stopvalve 9 is concerned.

The valve body I0 is provided with a central 25 aperture I5 and the disc valve II has an aperture I6 arranged to be aligned with the aperture I5, aperture I5 being counter-bored to receivethe inner vend of a rotatable sleeve Il which extends through the valve element Il. The sleeve I1 has 30 a portion struck out at I8 to form a key which fits in a key-way in the valve element so that rotation of the sleeve VII will cause the valve element to be turned.

The valve body I0 is provided with an 'inlet pas- 35 sage 20 and an outlet passage 2l, both passages opening to the seatface I2 of the valve body. The valve element II has an arcuate groove 22 therein, which groove is adapted to bridge the seat face ports of the passages 20 and 2I when the valve disc is turned to open position, that is, turned in a counter-clockwise direction'from the position shown in Figure 4. It will be noted from Figure 4 that in closed position the groove 22 of theyva'lve element is .only opposite the seat face port'of outlet passageZl. A plate member 23 is secured to theyalve body Ill byvmeans of machine screws r24 extending through apertured inwardly projecting extensions 25 onV the plate member 23 and into lugs 25a onv the'valve body IU, the plate member thus being positioned infront of the disc valve II. The sleeve I1 is preferably of sufficient length to extend through a central aperture 26 Vin the :plate 23.I The outer end kof sleeve Il has 55 diametrically opposed slots 28 therein and a valve element operating handle 29 has an aperture at its inner end whereby it is fitted upon the sleeve I1 rearwardly of the plate 23, the aperture in handle 29 being provided with tangs 29d fitting into the slots 28 so that rotation of the handle will cause the valve element I I to be rotated with respect to the valvev body I. A washer may be provided between the handle 29 and Yplate 23V as indicated in Figure l and a spring 35 is positioned against the inner face of the handle 29, the opposite end of the spring bearing in a counter-bore in the valve element II, the spring thereby serving to hold the valve seated and to also hold the y operating handle toward the plate 23.

The outer end of the operating handle 29 is bent to extend substantially parallel with the axis of the sleeve I1 and the bentportion moves in a cut-out portion limiting the turning movement of the handle 29. Handle 29 has a pin 32 extending from its upper face as shown in Figure 3, which pin is adapted to i'lt in a notch 33 at one end of the cut-out portion 3| when the handle is so positioned that the valve element II is at closed position.

A panel 36 of annular form may be fixed to the front of the range, not shown, or to the plate 23 in any suitable manner, the panel being arranged concentrically with the sleeve I1. The lower portion of the inner periphery of the annular panel 36 is cut awayas indicated at 31 yin Figure 2 and the operating handle 29 of valve element II extends through this cut-out portion and has an operating knob 38 secured to its projecting end.

' In the central portion of the aperture is posi.-Y

tioned a dial 39 bearing the usual temperature indicating markings thereon, which markings may be selectively aligned with a marker '40 on the panel so that the thermostatic valve I4 may be regulated accordingly. The dial 39 is secured to the operating shaft 4I of the thermostatic Valve I4, this shaft extending through the hollow sleeve I1. In order that the rotation of the Valve 39 may be limited to substantially 360, the inner wall ofthe dial includes a shoulder 42 which is adapted to contact with an upstruck portion 43 of the plate 23A at the limit positions of the dial.

The casing I3 of the thermostatic valve I4 includes a flow passage 45 arranged to be aligned with the outlet passage 2I of the valve body I0 and the flow of the gas delivered to the passage 45 from the valve 9 is controlled by a Valve 46, gas moving past the valve 46 flowing to the oven burner through a conduit connected to the outlet 41 of thermostatic valve I4. Y

Although the thermostatic valve per se forms no part of the present invention, its construction and operation will be briey described in order that the invention may be readily understood. The thermostatic valve I4 includes a bulb thermostat 48 which is connected through a tube, not shown, to the oven of the `rangeythe bulb 48 being positioned between la cup-shaped member 49 threadedly connected to the operating shaft 4I and a plate 50 secured in the casing I3 by means of screws 58a. Oneend of the bulb is secured to the cup-shapedmember 49 and the opposite end is secured to the plate 50. The cup-shaped element 49 is held againstrotation by pins,` 5I secured toA and extending throughV the plate 58 and carrying, at their innerends, a bimetallic element 52. Springs 53 are positioned upon the pins 5I between the plate 50 and the bi-metallic element 52 and the stem 54 of valve 46 is held in contact with the inner surface of the bi-metallic element 52 by means of a spring 55 which also serves to tend the Valve 46 toward its seat 56. A by-pass 51 is provided about the seat 56 to insure that so long as the disc valve II is in open position, a small flow of gas will occur to the oven burner, the flow through the by-pass 51 being adjustable by means of a small rotary gate valve 58.

By the above described thermostatic Valve 'structure, rotation of the thermostatic valve shaft 4I to set the valve for a predetermined temperature will cause the cup member 49 to move inwardly (to the right in Figure 1), the bulb 48 then being subject to contraction by reason of the low temperature in the oven at this time. The movement of the cup member 49 to the right will move the pins 5I in the same direction, thereby moving the bi-metallic element 52 to move the valve 46 from its seat. p The valve element I I may then be rotated to the position indicated in Figure 4 to permit gas to flow into the passage 45 and past the valve 46. When the temperature in the oven reaches the stage for which the dial 49 and Valve 46 are set, the bulb 48 being connected to the oven, will expand accordingly. Since the right hand portion of the bulb is xed to the stationary plate, the expansion of the bulb will act to force the cup member 49, shaft 4I and dial 39 to the left. This movement of the cup member 49 will draw the pins 5I to the left and also the bi-metallic element 52 so that the spring 55 may move the valve 46 toward its seat, thereby reducing or perhaps entirely shutting off the now of gas past that valve. Gas may, of course, flow through the by-pass 51 to maintain a flame in the oven burner even though the valve 46 is en- 'rely closed. If the valve 46 is entirely closed, when the temperature of the oven drops slightly, the resulting contraction of the bulb member 48 will permit the cup member 49 to move inwardly (to the right) through the action of the springs 53.

It will be observed that the gas flow controlling valve 9 is operated entirely independently of the thermostatic valve 46. By this arrangement, the thermostatic valve I4 may be set for a ne adjustment and its setting may be changed without stopping the flow of gas through the stop valve 9.

The stop valve 9 will be normally locked in the closed position indicated in Figure 3 by reason of the action of spring 30 toward holding its operating lever 29 outwardly to thus hold pin 32 in the notch 33. However, in order to move the lever 29 to turn valve element II to open position, it is only necessary'to press upon the handle 38, thereby causing the inner end of lever 29 to swing inwardly, the tangs 29a being suiciently short to permit this rocking movement. Thus released, the operating arm may be swung to the right (Figure 2) to turn the valve element to open position.

It will be observed that the provision of concentric operatingshafts enables the entire structure to be extremely compact and results in an arrangement of the operating handles which is of pleasing design.

The structure shown in Figures 5 and 6 is identical with that shown in Figures 1 to 4 and hereinbefore described except that in Figures 5 and 6 the valve body II! has a plate 65 secured to its rear face in place of the thermostatic valve casing I3. Plate 65 is attached to the valve body I D by means of machine screws 66 threaded into the rear faces of the lugs 25a on the valve body and has an apertured boss 61 thereon which is adapted to be aligned with the outlet passage 2i of the valve body so that gas may flow therethrough and to a pipe (not shown) leading to a thermostatic valve, also not shown. A nipple 68 may be threaded into boss 61 to permit connection of the last-mentioned pipe to the boss 61. Also, the operating shaft 4I has a connection such as the element 69 of a universal joint secured to its rear end, as by the collar 10. A spring 'Il is provided between a washer'12 at the outer end of sleeve Il and a ange 'I3 on shaft 4| to hold the shaft outwardly and to hold the sleeve I1 engaged in the valve disc.

By the arrangement shown in Figures 5 and 6, the thermostatic valve to be controlled may be positioned at a point on the range distant from the manual stop valve.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction disclosed and that the examples of the use of the invention which have been given do not include all the uses of which it is capable; also, that the phraseology employed in the specification is for the purpose of` description and not of limitation.

We claim:-

l. A valve structure comprising a valve body, a valve element movable with respect to the valve body, a plate member secured to the valve body and positioned on the side of the valve element distant from the valve body, an operating shaft rotatable in the body and to which the valve element is operatively connected, an operating arm rotatable with and longitudinally movable with respect to the shaft, and means to normally hold the arm in locked position with respect to the plate.

2. A valve structure for delivering fluid to a second valve comprising a valve body, a Valve element movable with respect to the valve body, a plate member secured to the valve body and positioned on the side of the valve element distant from the valve body, an operating shaft rotatable in the body and to which the valve element is operatively connected, an operating arm rotatable with and longitudinally movable with respect to the shaft, means to normally hold the arm in locked position with respect to the plate, the shaft being hollow to receive the operating shaft of the second valve.

3. In combination, a thermostatic valve, a stop valve including a valve body and valve element, said valve body being xed to the thermostatic valve to vdeliver gas thereto, a plate xed to said valve body and positioned beyond said valve element, concentric operating members for said valves extending through said valve element, one of said members being operatively connected to said valve element and including a handle extending past one edge of the plate and the other operating member extending centrally through said plate.

4. In combination, a thermostatic valve, a stop valve including a valve body and valve element, said valve body being xed to the thermostatic valve tordeliver gas thereto, a plate xed to said valve body and positioned beyond said valve element, concentric operating members for said valves extending through said valve element, one of said members being operatively connected to said valve element and including a handle extendingpast one edge of the plate and the other operating member extending centrally through said plate, and a spring between said handle and said valve element toltend the handle against said plate and maintain the valve element seated on the valve body.

' 5. In combination, a thermostatic valve, a stop valve including a valve body and valve element, said valve body being fixed to the thermostatic valve to deliver gas thereto, a plate fixed to said valve body and positioned beyond said valve element, operating members for the valves extending through said valve element, stop members on the operating members, and stop members on the plate arranged to respectively cooperate with the first-named stop members.

6. A valve structure for delivering fluid to a second valvecomprising a valve body, a valve element movable with respect to the valve body, said Valve element having an opening therein to receive an operating shaft for said second valve, a plate member secured to the valve body and positioned on the side of the valve element distant from the valve body, an operating means comprising a rotatable arm to Which the valve element is operatively connected, said arm being movable longitudinally with respect to said shaft, to releasably remove the arm from locking engagement with the plate.

BEST PRATT. GEORGE F. WEINREICI-I. 

